DRPX for ALTO speakers

lildrei

Good day, i just purchased a DRPX for my ALTO powered speakers and i havnt tried it yet besides setting it on my rack. I have a pair of TS115 and a pair of TSsub 18's. i know its not the best speakers out there but as a start up in my wife's biz as an event planner,i felt that it will do for now. I mostly service in bday parties, proms,seminars, etc. mostly PA but ofcourse after the program of an event it all boils down to pumping at the dance floor.

Im really just a noob when it comes to setting up my rig, mostly i rely on manuals and common sense.

I have a question regarding the connections, i know there is a specific output for the subs, but i usualy connect my main speakers to my sub via mix out then my sub to the mixer( saves $ for wire cost can i still do this with the DRPX? I saw in the manual that there is a type of connection via satellite where you can connect your two main speakers to one sub and that sub connected to the left and right outputs. What if im using two subs?

Thanks in advance

Gadget

Those speakers aren't bad as plastic box speakers go.. However your penny pinching is going to render the PX purchase only a fraction of the effectiveness it could have.

The thing is, the PX NEEDS to be the controller for the speakers... that means that we want the subs to be controlled BY the PX low outs and NOT the subs themselves, and we want the PX to be the controller for the tops as well, NOT just passing through the subs...

Can it be done? yes, will it work, yes, BUT you will be handcuffing the system to the cheap speakers...

You'll need 4 mic cables for 4 speakers...you can daisy chain the subs but then you have cables running between speakers you could trip on( assuming you wanted stereo music in the tops) here:
http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_I ... heet.shtml
PREMIUM mic cables will cost you $30 for 50' cables and
http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_I ... heet.shtml
and $21 for standard cables.. less for shorter, and the added quality is well worth the cost difference in the long run...

That is my recommendation

lildrei

Gadget wrote:

Those speakers aren't bad as plastic box speakers go.. However your penny pinching is going to render the PX purchase only a fraction of the effectiveness it could have.

The thing is, the PX NEEDS to be the controller for the speakers... that means that we want the subs to be controlled BY the PX low outs and NOT the subs themselves, and we want the PX to be the controller for the tops as well, NOT just passing through the subs...

Can it be done? yes, will it work, yes, BUT you will be handcuffing the system to the cheap speakers...

You'll need 4 mic cables for 4 speakers...you can daisy chain the subs but then you have cables running between speakers you could trip on( assuming you wanted stereo music in the tops) here:
http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_I ... heet.shtml
PREMIUM mic cables will cost you $30 for 50' cables and
http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_I ... heet.shtml
and $21 for standard cables.. less for shorter, and the added quality is well worth the cost difference in the long run...

That is my recommendation

Thanks for the tip sir. Ill let you know how it goes

Gadget

If you already have 2 cables worst case scenario $75 and you unlock the full potential of the PX AND the speakers!

Krazy B

The best thing you can do is to purchase some combination cables (as pictured). These have the electric power and line signal feed cables all enclosed in the same cable sheath. Obviously you would need a type to suit the power plug type for your country.

Using these cables saves so much time setting and packing up, makes the set up tidier and safer and the thicker cable sheath provides better mechanical protection too.

As we say in Australia – “These are the best things since sliced bread�.

Gadget

I doubt they are very inexpensive however...but good call..

Krazy B

Gadget wrote:

I doubt they are very inexpensive however...but good call..

Over here about $70 (aussie dollars) delivered for a 10 metre cable. Worth every cent especially if Lildrei is doing this for the family business.

The other option is to buy one and place a Y piece on the power cord so the one power lead feeds the Sub and Main and the tape another mic lead to the combi cable to make a loom.

Happy New Year to you Gadget and Co.

Gadget

Krazy, thanks so much for your continued presence and contributions here! Happy new year to you too brother! Here's too a better 2013.. although I have little faith in the Obamanation that is our president..

Unfortunately, what the rest of the world doesn't seem to understand is that as the economy of the USA goes, so goes the world market...until we can focus our wealth on the world of commerce, and off the world of hate mongering and division, we will continue on a downward spiral...

We of all people need to get our house in order though, and I haven't got much faith in any of the elements of the current government here, and that goes double and up for the rest of the word...until MONEY stops talking and BS starts walking were in for a rough go of it...

One world! One people!

Best to you and yours!

Dra

Don't get me started on how stupid "we Americans" can be sometimes. The voting age should to be raised to 30 for single, 25 for married, and 21 for employed. It would solve a lot of problems. Yes, I know that is discrimination, but I don't care.

DRA

Gadget

And all campaign spending is done equally and centrally...right now it's a game of dollars. Money buys power... kinda sounds like a bad movie script...

lildrei

haapy new year everyone!

thanks for all the helpful suggestions. ive already purchased new cables for the subs yesterday. i just saw your comment now sir krazy. those combination cables looks pretty useful. im gonna test my setup today here in my garage to celebrate new year instead of buying fireworks .

ill let you guys know how it goes. ill test it first without the DPRX to see the diff.

anyone here knows something about ddj controlers?

lildrei

I just finished setting it. I tested it with 2 types of connections, sub with sats and 2mains 2 subs setup. And the later is better than the first. Thanks sir gadget.
I just need to learn how to tweak it more

Gadget

Twilite Zone Productions
DJ/KJ

What do you want to know? I'm mainly computer based but electronics is my game!

We have provided loads of tweeking info in the FAQ section on the front page...

lildrei

thanks a bunch sir gadget.

about the ddj controllers, im thinking of getting one but there is alot of brands/models to choose from. as beginner, i dont know which one to by.

im looking into stanton djc.4/ pioneer ergo/ pioneer wego and NI traktor s2

Gadget

Do you do a lot of scratching?

lildrei

Gadget wrote:

Do you do a lot of scratching?

Not really a fan of scratching. But it wouldn't hurt to try sometimes.

Ur a godsend sir gadget. I have a lot more questions for you. But one at a time

Gadget

I have a controller but never use it.. I run the whole show from the computer.. using either Ots DJ or BPM studio, I use OTs for KJ work. We have virtually everything ever put out KJ wise and BILLIONS of songs since I have been DJ'ing since the 70's.

I was doing sound back in the days of the first line arrays...Shure column speakers :roll: using Bogen 4 channel tube PA

My son was involved in the pioneering of the first computer versions of KJ...I have done THOUSANDS of gigs as a DJ and TONS as a KJ as well.

So, been there, done that... GOT the T shirt...

Krazy B

Gadget wrote:

I have a controller but never use it.. I run the whole show from the computer.. using either Ots DJ or BPM studio, I use OTs for KJ work. We have virtually everything ever put out KJ wise and BILLIONS of songs since I have been DJ'ing since the 70's.

I was doing sound back in the days of the first line arrays...Shure column speakers :roll: using Bogen 4 channel tube PA

My son was involved in the pioneering of the first computer versions of KJ...I have done THOUSANDS of gigs as a DJ and TONS as a KJ as well.

So, been there, done that... GOT the T shirt...

I had a laughed about the column speakers. Been there too.

I remember in one band years ago, we had a 39 seater bus which we converted 1/2 into sleeping space and the other half for storage. The PA was big, heavy and bulky so we needed the space to move it.

Thank God for technolgy, More bang for your buck these days and easier to get it all around and sound heaps better.

Also had a chuckle at the Bogen reference. Here in Oz it has a whole different meaning.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bogan

Gadget

Krazy, that's BogEn... not bogAn silly person...I assume Bogen originally designed the amps back in the 50's, not some ner-do-well less then intellectually gifted person as you would say...

Gday mate.. I have actually got a few friends down under I've helped through the years, what part do you hail from? Had one form the southeast corner north of Adelaide I believe...

Krazy B

Gadget wrote:

Krazy, that's BogEn... not bogAn silly person...I assume Bogen originally designed the amps back in the 50's, not some ner-do-well less then intellectually gifted person as you would say...

Gday mate.. I have actually got a few friends down under I've helped through the years, what part do you hail from? Had one form the southeast corner north of Adelaide I believe...

Ha Ha, no not silly just with our accent here it all sounds the same. :!:

Yeah we are about 440 Kms by road North West if Adelaide but a lot less as the crow flies due to two Gulfs that dissect our state and have to drive around.

PS have about 9 venues saved into my PX saving a lot of time in set up and less time fine tuning.

lildrei

Sir gadget, how do i setup my afs if in a kids bday party and im only using 2 loudspeakers(no subs). I keep getting nasty feedbacks when the host is using the mics.

Gadget

You need to get the system DEAD flat... using the indoor method or close field outdoor.. and then set up the AFS 6 fixed and 6 roaming filters medium (speech)

Then take the mic and walk right up to the speakers and see just how loud you can have them before they feed back, If you know frequencies and PEQ filters then you can listen for the feedback, set up a PEQ filter (there are 3on the high outs) and use them to kill the feedback.,..

simple!

lildrei

Gadget wrote:

You need to get the system DEAD flat... using the indoor method or close field outdoor.. and then set up the AFS 6 fixed and 6 roaming filters medium (speech)

Then take the mic and walk right up to the speakers and see just how loud you can have them before they feed back, If you know frequencies and PEQ filters then you can listen for the feedback, set up a PEQ filter (there are 3on the high outs) and use them to kill the feedback.,..

simple!

thank you sir gadget.

another question if you dont mind, say my setup would be 2subs, 4loudspeakers and 2 stage monitors. the subs and the loudspeakers will defintly pass through the DRPX but what about the monitor speakers? it goes straight to my efx12 rght? so DRPX wont be able to balance or manage it?

Gadget

Unfortunately the PX cannot do this, the DRPA+ and 200 SERIES can...you could be

2subs, 4loudspeakers and 2 stage monitors.

Here is where you can get into feedback trouble with the tops...Where ever the horn patterns interact there will be phasing and anomalies that will play into the hands of feedback.. actually make it so that even though you got the system flat, and you can stand right in front of the speakers without feedback (one speaker) when the horns interact the resulting phasing and coupling can create feedback issues...

Speakers with 90 degree horizontal dispersion are meant to be one per side...or set up so that the horn patterns do NOT intersect, and that would mean 180 degrees coverage each side, and most likely start blasting sound at walls and things that start up another whole set of problems...

The one thing that does work to a limited extent is placing the horns in vertical conjunction, (as in invert the one speaker on top of the other so the horns couple...) this presents another whole set of problems .. not the least of which is how do you keep it from falling on people, and it's difficult to get on the speaker stands...

So, the more you learn, the less you know...

lildrei

Gadget wrote:

Unfortunately the PX cannot do this, the DRPA+ and 200 SERIES can...you could be

2subs, 4loudspeakers and 2 stage monitors.

Here is where you can get into feedback trouble with the tops...Where ever the horn patterns interact there will be phasing and anomalies that will play into the hands of feedback.. actually make it so that even though you got the system flat, and you can stand right in front of the speakers without feedback (one speaker) when the horns interact the resulting phasing and coupling can create feedback issues...

Speakers with 90 degree horizontal dispersion are meant to be one per side...or set up so that the horn patterns do NOT intersect, and that would mean 180 degrees coverage each side, and most likely start blasting sound at walls and things that start up another whole set of problems...

The one thing that does work to a limited extent is placing the horns in vertical conjunction, (as in invert the one speaker on top of the other so the horns couple...) this presents another whole set of problems .. not the least of which is how do you keep it from falling on people, and it's difficult to get on the speaker stands...

So, the more you learn, the less you know...

Information overload...

Thank you sir

Krazy B

Hi Lildrei,

I use my PX from my FOH only and am extremely happy with that. Once I had it set up and confident with it's uses It freed up old FOH graphic to use for my monitors which I just EQ by ear.

The left side of the graphic is used for my powered fold back monitors at the front of the stage and the right side is used for the other powered speaker I use as a drum fill.

What Gagdet is saying may sound complicated but it is just refering to how the pattern of the spread of the sound from 4 main speakers will interact with each other. They could enhance the sound in some parts of a room and detract from it it in others.

I guess one thing you haven't mentioned is why you want 4 main speakers. Is it to get coverage in a particular odd shaped room or just more volume? If it was just volume may be sell the 4 and by two, more powerful ones?

My equipment is listed below its not powerful compared to what I have seen on here but it packs a mighty punch in the right conditions. in particular The Db Tech 405Ds have a stange shaped horn throat that disperses the sound wide and far evenly. I have some photographs on a previous post if toy wanted to see.

Gadget

Well said Krazy!

The thing is...coverage or volume with 4, not both...Sell 4 and get 2 more powerful for those times when sound pressure is an issue and cruise through the rest of your gigs...

I used the below system for about 2500+ people, outdoors...was paid for a system for 500 or so..

Flew the tops, and ground stacked the low end...18' trim height...

6... OAP 122 (12" 2 way McCauley 12" Woofer and 2" B&C 750 driver on a 60X40 horn.
Crown MAC 3600 amps,
Carver M1.0t amp

2 LABsubs (2X12) ultra low bass
6 GASP LBD118 (1X18" manifold) low/low mid

Journey tribute band...doing 120dB C weighted... average

The speakers MAKE the difference...

lildrei

thanks sir krazy and sir gadget, its really obvious that im still a newbie .

the reason why ill use 4 alto ts115a, ill be setting up in a basketball court. i figured maybe i can place 1 speaker in each corner. then ill just link themso all 4 will pass through the drpx.

i really should do my homework.hehehe

lildrei

sirs, my equipments are:

2pcs ALTO TS115A
2pcs ALTO TSsub18's
soundcraft efx12
dbx DRPX

as i have said before, i know there are way better brands out there than alto but im just a beginner. and to be honest, i really like the sound quality it produces, or maybe im just not like some of you that is really keen to good quality sound. and also im fond of active speakers, less hassle for me when setting up. i dont do very big events so i think what i have will suffice. what do you think sir gadget and sir krazy?

im planning to buy 2 more of the TS115A to augment my sound setup if in case a client requires a louder setup. and im also planning to buy 2pcs of the alto monitor speakers specifically the sxm112a http://altoproaudio.com/products/sxm112a
for acoustic setups.

generally, my setups are for childrens party, weddings,proms

Dra

lildrei wrote:

the reason why ill use 4 alto ts115a, ill be setting up in a basketball court. i figured maybe i can place 1 speaker in each corner. then ill just link themso all 4 will pass through the drpx.

Yikes. Cables every where. With kids around? You might want to reconsider.

DRA

Gadget

Unless you have the wireless versions..but then you still have power cables ... in a gym the only hope is getting the sound on the people and and off the hard surfaces...